Career and Education Opportunities for Athletic Scouts in St. Louis, Missouri

Athletic scouts can find many career and educational opportunities in the St. Louis, Missouri area. There are currently 3,350 working athletic scouts in Missouri; this should grow by 2% to about 3,430 working athletic scouts in the state by 2016. This is not quite as good as the nation as a whole, where employment opportunities for athletic scouts are expected to grow by about 24.8%. Athletic scouts generally instruct or coach groups or individuals in the fundamentals of sports.

The average wage in the general category of Sports jobs is $43,283 per year in Missouri, and an average of $30,850 per year nationwide. Athletic scouts earn less than people working in the category of Sports generally in Missouri and less than people in the Sports category nationally. People working as athletic scouts can fill a number of jobs, such as: scuba diving teacher, volleyball coach, and karate teacher.

The St. Louis area is home to seventy-one schools of higher education, including eight within twenty-five miles of St. Louis where you can get a degree as an athletic scout. Given that the most common education level for athletic scouts is a Bachelor's degree, you can expect to spend about four years training to become an athletic scout if you already have a high school diploma.

CAREER DESCRIPTION: Athletic Scout

Athletic Scout video from the State of New Jersey Dept. of Labor and Workforce Development

In general, athletic scouts instruct or coach groups or individuals in the fundamentals of sports. They also demonstrate techniques and methods of participation.

Athletic scouts formulate, organize, and conduct practice sessions. They also furnish training direction and motivation in order to ready athletes for games and/or tours. Equally important, athletic scouts have to keep abreast of changing rules and philosophies relevant to their sport. They are often called upon to adjust coaching techniques, on the basis of the strengths and weaknesses of athletes. They are expected to instruct individuals or groups in sports rules and performance principles, such as specific ways of moving the body or feet, to attain desired results. Finally, athletic scouts design and arrange competition schedules and programs.

Every day, athletic scouts are expected to be able to visualize how things come together and can be organized. They need to articulate ideas and problems.

It is important for athletic scouts to file scouting reports that detail player assessments, furnish recommendations on athlete recruitment, and identify locations and individuals to be targeted for future recruitment efforts. They are often called upon to identify and recruit potential athletes, arranging and offering incentives such as athletic scholarships. They also explain and demonstrate the use of sports and training equipment. They are sometimes expected to serve as organizer or referee for outdoor and indoor games, such as volleyball and soccer. Somewhat less frequently, athletic scouts are also expected to instruct individuals or groups in sports rules and performance principles, such as specific ways of moving the body or feet, to attain desired results.

Athletic scouts sometimes are asked to formulate and direct physical conditioning programs that will enable athletes to attain maximum performance. They also have to be able to formulate strategies and choose team members for individual games or sports seasons and keep records of athlete and opposing team performance. And finally, they sometimes have to serve as organizer or referee for outdoor and indoor games, such as volleyball and soccer.

Like many other jobs, athletic scouts must be able to take change and lead and be reliable.

Similar jobs with educational opportunities in St. Louis include:

EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES: Athletic Scout Training

Lindenwood University - Saint Charles, MO

Lindenwood University, 209 S Kingshighway, Saint Charles, MO 63301-1695. Lindenwood University is a large university located in Saint Charles, Missouri. It is a private not-for-profit school with primarily 4-year or above programs. It has 10,253 students and an admission rate of 40%. Lindenwood University has 2 areas of study related to Athletic Scout. They are:

Physical Education Teaching and Coaching, bachelor's degree.

Sport and Fitness Administration/Management, bachelor's degree and master's degree which graduated one and six students respectively in 2008.

Missouri Baptist University - Saint Louis, MO

Missouri Baptist University, One College Park Dr, Saint Louis, MO 63141-8698. Missouri Baptist University is a small university located in Saint Louis, Missouri. It is a private not-for-profit school with primarily 4-year or above programs. It has 4,764 students and an admission rate of 67%. Missouri Baptist University has 2 areas of study related to Athletic Scout. They are:

Physical Education Teaching and Coaching, bachelor's degree which graduated 3 students in 2008.

Sport and Fitness Administration/Management, less than one year, bachelor's degree, and master's degree which graduated two, nine, and four students respectively in 2008.

McKendree University - Lebanon, IL

McKendree University, 701 College Rd, Lebanon, IL 62254-1291. McKendree University is a small university located in Lebanon, Illinois. It is a private not-for-profit school with primarily 4-year or above programs. It has 3,258 students and an admission rate of 65%. McKendree University has a bachelor's degree program in Physical Education Teaching and Coaching which graduated one student in 2008.

Fontbonne University - Saint Louis, MO

Fontbonne University, 6800 Wydown Blvd, Saint Louis, MO 63105-3098. Fontbonne University is a small university located in Saint Louis, Missouri. It is a private not-for-profit school with primarily 4-year or above programs. It has 2,967 students and an admission rate of 82%. Fontbonne University has a bachelor's degree program in Sport and Fitness Administration/Management.

Maryville University of Saint Louis - Saint Louis, MO

Maryville University of Saint Louis, 650 Maryville University Drive, Saint Louis, MO 63141-7299. Maryville University of Saint Louis is a small university located in Saint Louis, Missouri. It is a private not-for-profit school with primarily 4-year or above programs. It has 3,522 students and an admission rate of 54%. Maryville University of Saint Louis has a bachelor's degree program in Sport and Fitness Administration/Management.

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville - Edwardsville, IL

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, Il State Rte 157, Edwardsville, IL 62026-1001. Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is a large university located in Edwardsville, Illinois. It is a public school with primarily 4-year or above programs. It has 13,602 students and an admission rate of 89%. Southern Illinois University Edwardsville has 2 areas of study related to Athletic Scout. They are:

Principia College, 1 Maybeck Place, Elsah, IL 62028-9799. Principia College is a small college located in Elsah, Illinois. It is a private not-for-profit school with primarily 4-year or above programs. It has 520 students and an admission rate of 84%. Principia College has a bachelor's degree program in Sport and Fitness Administration/Management.

University of Missouri-St Louis - Saint Louis, MO

University of Missouri-St Louis, One University Boulevard, Saint Louis, MO 63121-4400. University of Missouri-St Louis is a large university located in Saint Louis, Missouri. It is a public school with primarily 4-year or above programs. It has 15,591 students and an admission rate of 46%. University of Missouri-St Louis has a bachelor's degree program in Physical Education Teaching and Coaching which graduated fourteen students in 2008.

CERTIFICATIONS

ACA Instructor:
As an ACA Instructor, you are certified to teach a body of knowledge including all the skills, maneuvers and information required in canoeing, kayaking, and rafting.

Certified Health Fitness Specialist:
The ACSM Certified Health Fitness Specialist (HFS) is a degreed health and fitness professional qualified to pursue a career in university, corporate, commercial, hospital, and community settings.

Sports Nutrition:
The optimum way for you or your clients to get the most out of their workouts and feel their best is to develop an energizing, performance-enhancing nutrition plan, tailored to their body's specific needs.

Seasonal Equestrian Staff Certification:
The Seasonal Equestrian Staff Certification (SESC) was developed to meet the needs of seasonal riding program operators, such as summer camps, youth organizations, guest ranches and trail program operators.

Functional Trainer:
Functional training is a complete system of athletic development that focuses on training the body the way it will be used in competition, making it the most efficient and effective form of training today.

Sports Conditioning Specialist:
The IFPA Sports Conditioning Specialist Certification(s) presents principles and practices from twenty-two of the finest and most respected strength and conditioning coaches.

LOCATION INFORMATION: St. Louis, Missouri

St. Louis, Missouri photo by Dschwen

St. Louis is located in St. Louis City County, Missouri. It has a population of over 354,361, which has grown by 1.8% over the last ten years. The cost of living index in St. Louis, 83, is well below the national average. New single-family homes in St. Louis are priced at $111,600 on average, which is far less than the state average. In 2008, one hundred fifty-seven new homes were built in St. Louis, down from two hundred sixty-one the previous year.

The top three industries for women in St. Louis are health care, educational services, and accommodation and food services. For men, it is accommodation and food services, construction, and educational services. The average travel time to work is about 25 minutes. More than 19.1% of St. Louis residents have a bachelor's degree, which is lower than the state average. The percentage of residents with a graduate degree, 7.6%, is lower than the state average.

The unemployment rate in St. Louis is 10.9%, which is greater than Missouri's average of 8.9%.

Nativity of Our Lord Church, Church of the Good Shepard and Church of the Holy Communion are among the churches located in St. Louis.

St. Louis is home to the Terminal Railroad Association Building and the Memorial Home as well as Washington Park and Willmore Park. Shopping malls in the area include Hampton Village Shopping Center and Loughborough Shopping Center.